Override
by Xcite
Summary: Months after the showdown of Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic finds himself in conflict with many things. Beaten by emotions, he decides to go a separate path than his master's, but will he choose to find an identity of his own or will he go back to being a mindless pawn of Eggman? [On indefinite hiatus]
1. Hopeless Opus

**This fic is dedicated to a dear friend of mine on FFN, Metal1784.  
** **I hope you all enjoy reading this.**

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There wasn't single creature stirring in the wild when night had come. Crickets chirped throughout the Mystic Ruins, breaking the silence ruling the forest. Nightfall was beautiful at the site, but no one stood to appreciate it as everyone rushed to their homes with the last rays of sunlight.  
But a particular being roamed the woods, without the slightest fear of being alone in the forest at night. He knew no emotion, let alone feelings.

Anger was the only thing he knew. Hatred surged through every part of his metal endoskeleton, and through his… veins? He couldn't say so. He wasn't quite sure what he was anymore.  
The clinks of his feet against the rock terrain echoed in the woodlands, betraying his will to stay hidden. The crimson eyes of his scanned the beautiful starry sky, his hands reaching out for the brightest one sitting in the black canvas. _A monster,_ he thought. He was a monster, he knew for sure.

Nothing he knew stood alone. Even the stars accompanied each other deep in the skies, shining brightly onto the people of Mobius. But then again, there he was, standing still with no one around him, alone with a burning anger coded in his system.  
A glimmering sensation glinted in his scarlet eyes. _This is… new._ What was the feeling called, the one that had just shot through him? He didn't know. Maybe not knowing was for the best, but he couldn't push the emotion away.  
 _Emotion..._ He pondered. Robots shouldn't have any. There was something wrong with him; he could feel it.

The metal robot brushed his hands onto the trees as he marched steadily into the jungle. He watched silently as his claws gashed the trunks of the trees once he brushed his hands onto them. He felt another wave of fury burst through. He was a bringer of destruction and fear, designed for nothing more or less. His fist buried more into the soft texture of fiber. _I wonder how many have perished under my claws,_ he wondered, watching the slashes go deeper in the oak.

Was there something, _anything_ about him that would make him any different from others? With a swift movement of his claws, he felt the pointed quills installed onto his head. His cobalt blue coating shimmered in moonlight. Not even his design was original; he was modeled after his nemesis, a blue hedgehog whom people believed to be a hero.  
The robot settled on a log. He held his head in his hands; a gesture he had learned from his creator. A rush of thoughts raced to his processing unit, but he was unable to analyze them all at once.

He was Metal Sonic, brought to this world to destroy his doppelganger. He never knew another purpose as it was the only aim and end coded in his operating system. The goal was there ever since he could remember. But he was programmed with an expanding mind, growing and learning to _feel._ At first it was only rage and hatred towards his nemesis, but with time it evolved into something more. Something less _menacing,_ but different. Over time, it somehow evolved into something more… _humane_. He couldn't just put his finger on what exactly it was. He didn't know what is was called.

The same feeling he had earlier came to him. There was a strange bitterness he could feel inside his guts. Metaphorically speaking, of course, as he had no living organ.  
Metal Sonic shook the feeling off. The more he thought of it, the more he felt his circuits buzz and overheat. Maybe robots weren't meant to feel anything at all. Being the obeying minion he was, didn't want to conflict with anything his creator wanted him to do. Otherwise why would he slowly malfunction when thinking of something so strange and new?

Metal Sonic shot up from his hard seat; his mainframe was taking control of his actions. His vocal processors managed to release a growl.

" _Sonic, I was created for the sole purpose of destroying you. But I could never seem to defeat you! That's why I transformed my own body with my own hands."_ A memory copy of what was his glorious moments started playing in his processing unit. Why was he remembering that? It was a long time ago since he had become the Metal Overlord. Why now, after all this time?

" _Ahhh! Why?! I had it all! I am the ultimate overlord, Metal Sonic! I am the real Sonic!"_ He had screamed with all his might, as high pitched as his vocal processors would allow him when he was defeated by his arch rival.  
But was he the real Sonic?

The robot stared in the sky. He pondered with the thought for a while. He was equal to Sonic in many ways, superior in some cases. His scarlet eyes widened as he realized, he was created after Sonic the Hedgehog. He was a copy, nothing more. He was machine, designed to fulfill man's wishes, not to feel or think. It angered him.

"Why is this the only thing I feel?"He asked himself, not bothering to lower his voice. It must have been the creator's will. Maybe that was what brought chaos, what he had been built for.

Thinking was dangerous. It brought new ideas about and Metal Sonic was sure that was against his creator's will. He felt it in his code; he should never question the master or his goals.  
Without further hesitation, he ceased processing the thoughts he had. Why was he even starting to question his own being and aim?  
He didn't know himself.

His audio transmitter sparked to life with a boom. Metal Sonic glanced at the emitter, waiting for a new demand. Master must have wanted to summon him.  
"Metal Sonic!" Barked Robotnik at the other end, "Report status and return to base now!" His harsh voice echoed in the place.  
The vocal processor of the robot started working once more, "Location: Mystic Ruins. All systems are full power. Returning to base sequence commenced." His robotic, monotonous voice responded. Robotnik signed off immediately.

" _Booting up engines. Loading in progress."_ Blocks of text appeared on his visual monitors. He waited patiently as the system prepared for flight. _"All systems at one hundred percent efficiency."_ His metal feet clinked again on the rock terrain before the robot lifted off into the air.

Metal Sonic pushed his strange notions away. What master wanted, he delivered. But still he couldn't ignore the bitter feeling he had as it hadn't ceased to exist. He shook his head and soared high into the night sky.

 _I am machine. I shall not disobey, disregard or fight Dr Robotnik's will,_ he thought.  
 _But could I fight my own?_  
The robot raced to the fleet where his master awaited him. It probably was another mission to foil Sonic which would fail. His every attempt had failed and there was no reason to believe this one would succeed. Not even in the form of the Metal Overlord could he defeat his rival.  
The robot paused mid air.

If his every attempt had backfired, why would he want to try again? He could _leave._ At any moment he wanted, he had the choice to leave his creator. If he never could fulfill his objective, why would he try? Sonic had always won. Not even in his final form, the Metal Overlord, could he destroy his rival once and for all.  
The robot glimpsed at the base which was now shining outside the city. What if he flew in the other direction, towards Station Square, leaving everything-

 _NO!_ A rage surged through him. How could he think of betraying his own master and running off? He snorted at the thought, at least he tried to by emitting the voice out of his vocal processors. What had gotten into him? Was the most loyal minion of Dr Robotnik starting to rebel against him?  
Feeling a strange _emotion_ , questioning his existence and now thinking of leaving his superior… this wasn't something he should be doing.  
 _Could be a system error. I shall have master look for faults._ Metal Sonic shook the idea off. The cobalt blue copy of the Mobian hero rushed off to the base afterwards.

 _Master is good. I shall not disobey him. Sonic the Hedgehog is the sole enemy and he shall be destroyed._

… _Or should he?_

Once he arrived at the entrance by the edge of the jungle, he ignored the doubt. He had to suppress the feeling; he felt it in his code. With a stern look, he entered the fleet.

 _Onwards to a new mission._

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 **A/N: Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it! Thanks for reading.**


	2. It's No Use

"You summoned me..."

It hadn't taken Metal Sonic a long time to get to the Command Center. Once he had reached the gates, a five minute walk in the long steel corridors led him straight where he had to be. His master stood by the large windows which exposed the Command Center to the shimmering lights of Station Square.  
"… _Sir._ " Metal Sonic added the last part after a brief pause. _Rule number one, always respect the great creator._

With a nod, Robotnik turned to face his servant.  
"Good," He said with a raspy voice, "Your mission is to visit the outskirts of Station Square. My radars have detected a strange energy emission from somewhere outside the city." The genius took a step forward and settled in his chair, behind the enormous table that stretched from one side of the room to the other. Metal Sonic observed him quietly, awaiting orders. "Apparently the signals started from _nowhere._ I'm guessing an energy source has been delivered there, somehow."

Metal Sonic took the hint. "You mean… a Chaos Emerald?"  
"This is exactly why I assigned you to this mission!" He leaned forward, "I have discovered a _new_ use for the Emerald. Bring it for me."

Robotnik turned his attention to the monitors surrounding the control panels. A torrent of pictures appeared on each screen as he typed furiously onto the holographic keyboards, all of which seemed to be places around Station Square. "I will send you the approximate locations. Now leave!"  
The robot backed away slowly before turning towards the exit.  
"Ah, and _robot_!" The evil mastermind bellowed from his seat, "Do not return until you have completed your mission _. Don't fail me."_

 _I won't!_ Did his master doubt him?  
The gate opened with a low rustle. The sound of his metal feet banging against the floor filled the empty corridors once more.

He could almost feel the soft wind brushing against his armor when he stepped outside. _Almost._

* * *

"I will skewer you!"

"Really, bolt brain!? I wonder how many brain cells it took you to come up with that!"

Metal Sonic's optic cracked as his counterpart threw a strong punch towards his visual lens, rendering him blind in one eye. The robot stumbled back from the punch. Not many things at the moment were doing okay in his favor; shortly after he tracked down the emerald, Sonic had decided to show up with the two tailed fox. And right now, he was stuck in a gust of dirt his nemesis managed to create. As if not seeing a thing was bad, he lost vision in one eye.

 _Warning. System damage at twenty percent. Condition currently stable._ He couldn't bear anymore damage before having his system overload.  
The robot rose to his feet. "I am warning you, hedgehog. Hand me the emerald and I shall leave you unharmed!" Hatred surged through his body. His counterpart had to be destroyed before he could get away with the gem…

The gust of dirt settled. In front of him stood Sonic holding the azure blue gem. "You won't win. Even last time you turned into that stupid dragon thing, you couldn't. It's useless, man! Give up before I _punch_ your other eye too." Sonic started throwing the Chaos Emerald up. He shot his signature smirk at the robot.

 _You should be the one begging for mercy._ The remaining iris of the robot's optic changed color to a menacing burgundy red. _A plan… I should stall the hedgehog and distract him._ He remained silent as he scanned his surroundings. Not far away Sonic kept his ground, ready to charge at any moment. Metal was too far away to snatch the emerald… Something as pathetic as that wouldn't definitely work.  
The robot tilted his head. His eye glinted with a spark as he came up with what to do.

 _Booting up engine. System ready for flight._ Metal jumped in the air, hovering not too high from the ground. He could see the hedgehog eying him carefully.  
 _You will regret this!_

Metal stormed towards Sonic. In return, he raced forward and jumped to a homing attack. _Completely predictable,_ the robot thought before changing direction. Metal dodged the attack swiftly and broke into a circular movement, with Sonic in the center. He wasn't planning to attack his enemy. At least not now.  
Another gust of dirt blocked Metal's sight. Despite being blind in one eye, he could pick up heat signatures unlike his doppelganger.

"Tails, lift me up!" He heard the Mobian hero yelp. The fox jumped in the whirlwind with his goggles down.

They couldn't see him. Now was his chance.  
His razor sharp claws came in contact with the fox's soft yellow fur. Maybe he wasn't fast enough to outrun Sonic, but he definitely could race to the fox in less than a second.  
The two came crashing down from the collision. The robot landed perfectly on his feet, holding the fox under his grip tightly.  
"Take one step forward and he will perish." He growled, stressing each word. He was in no rush.

It quite enjoying to see his doppelganger mad. The way Sonic gritted his teeth and crouched forward with anger… it was a sight Metal would _kill_ for.  
"Give me the emerald." The robotic voice of his hissed. Under his arms, the fox squirmed restlessly. His claws slowly dug into the kitsune's neck, threatening him to stay silent. Tails wrapped his arms around Metal's, trying to break free from his prison.

"Let him go, bolt freak!"

Metal took a step back and dragged his hostage with him. He awaited the hedgehog to lower his guard, but apparently Sonic couldn't decide what to do.  
"Fine." He said after a long pause. "But how will I make sure you don't bail out?"  
 _Idiot._ Metal pondered for a second, "Give me the emerald and I shall release the fox at the same time."

The Chaos Emerald shone in the rays of sunlight as Sonic threw it towards his enemy. Metal loosened his claws around Tails' neck and shoved him forward, causing him to stumble in the dirt.  
With a swift and precise move only a robot could pull off, he caught the emerald in air.

 _Imbecile. This is what happens when you rely on friends to save you. You lose.  
Mission accomplished._

Metal Sonic chuckled as he felt the energy of the gem surge through him. Master would be proud.  
Without another word, he jumped to the air, leaving Sonic to attend to his injured friend.

 _I said I wouldn't fail you._


End file.
